Shoe last



J. H. STONE May 9, 1939.

SHOE LAS T Filed May 14, 1957 HV1-'EA'. TOR.

BY ma, VAB/w ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 9, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a shoe last, and particularly to a shoe last which is made of metal of the type which is used for the manufacture of footwear which requires the use of nails; and has for one of its objects the provision of such a metal shoe last which will have portions which ordinarily receive the nails formed of such material that the nails may be driven into the material so that the last may be used in the same manner that the all-wooden shoe lasts are used.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a metal shoe last having an insert of a material which will receive nails along the portion where the nails are usually applied, this insert being removable at will by simple screw driver operations to be interchanged with a fresh insert when by use the insert is so punctured from nail holes as to be impractical for further use.

Another object of the invention is the formation of a metal shoe last with a wooden bottom which may be interchanged to provide a fresh wooden bottom when desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In Ythe accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View looking at the bottom of the shoe last;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the nail receiving insert removed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the nail receiving insert alone; Fig. 4 is a central sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig.` 5 is a central sectional View through the shoe last;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional View of the toe portion of the shoe last showing the insert in secured position;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified form of insert and last bottom for receiving the same;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective view of a different shaped insert as extending only in the sole portion rather than also into the shank portion of the shoe.

Metal shoe lasts are desirable in the formation of shoes for many reasons, among them the greater durability of the metal, the non-shrinking or swelling of the last, due to moisture, and the ability to cast the last into substantially the size desired, and the saving of expense. However, in the making of many shoes such as of leather and the like, it is customary to nail parts of the shoes to the last. For instance, the inner v sole about which the shoe is built is temporarily nailed to the last to hold it in desired position` relative to the last until the other shoe parts are secured thereto. In other cases, the nailing of the shoe to the last involves the nailing of the outer sole to the inner sole, the nails not being clinched in the nailing operation; and to permit the use of a metal last in these conventional methods portions to receive the nails must be provided; and in order that this may be accomplished, I have left the bottom of the shoe last open and provided a lip extending inwardly from the edge of the last for receiving an insert which may in turn receive nails, which insert may readily be made of wood and be removably secured in position. While the remainder of the last is hollow this wood serves to close the bottom and yet the portions providing the essential shape of the last are formed of metal and provide the desired advantages of the metal which have been above referred to; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawing, I have illus trated a metal last which is formed in two parts, the heel part being designated II) and the fore part designated I I. These parts are slidably related one upon the other along the junction line I2, there being a rack I3 in the part II and a mutilated gear I4 in the part I0 which meshes therewith and rotates as the two parts are relatively moved along the junction line I2. A lock I5 serves to engage an abutment IE of the gear I4 to hold the same against turning except upon its being released by the handle Il which is urged by the spring I8 into locked position.

The heel part has a post I9 which is cast integral therewith and provided with a bore 2i! which eliminates the necessity of providing an inserted individual steel tube and also a bore 2l, both of which serve for the mounting of the last in the shoe machines and are of known utility.

The heel part I0 is generally hollow as at 2| with a closure plate 22 along its junction line I2, while the fore part is also generally hollow as at 23 also provided with a closure plate 24 along its junction line and is open as at 25 through its bottom. A flange or shelf-like portion 26 about the open bottom 25 extends inwardly at a point spaced from the bottom edge 21 of the fore part of the last, with projecting portions 28 at certain points provided with screw holes 29 in these projecting portions. This flange is positioned inwardly from the edge 21 substantially the thickness of an individual sole member 30 so that when this sole member is positioned on the flange or shelf 26 it will lie substantially flush with the edge 21, as is readily apparent in Figs. l, and 6.

This sole member is of a material into which nails may be readily driven, such for instance as wood, or some wood or plastic composition which may be molded into shape. Openings 3| are provided having enlarged outer portions 32 for the reception of screws 33 having heads 34 beveled to t the enlarged openings 32 so as to lie below the outer surface of the member 39, as shown at 35 in Fig. 5. The recess left outwardly from the screw may then be iilled with putty or some similar substance to close over the opening and provide a smooth bottom for the supporting of the shoeto be built thereon. If it is desired to detach this wooden member from the shoe it is merely necessary to remove these screws 33 and lift the same from position to replace this wooden member with a fresh one.

This wooden or nail receiving member 30 has a sole portion 36 as well as a shank portion 31 which extends down into the curved shank of the fore part of the last so as to receive the nail fastening means along its length. In some instances, however, this sole portion need not extend into the shank of the last, and I have shown in Fig. 8 a wooden or nail receiving member 38 which extends only along the sole portion terminating as at 39 short of the shank 40, which shank is of metal.

In some cases it is found that the wooden or nail receiving member need not extend completely across the bottom of the last, and as shown in Fig. 'I I have provided a central metal portion 4I with a recess 42 generally about the periphery of the sole and shank portions, and into this recess there is set a member 43 shaped to fit the recess, which member may be of wood or some material which will receive nails in a manner similar to wood rather than heading over these nails for clinching the same.

The heel portion l 9 of the last has a steel plate 44 secured in position by screws 45 extending into the metal which is shaped to receive them, and in this position there is left a recess 46 in the post I9 for the reception of a wooden plug 41; and also, there is provided in the heel portion an inwardly extended boss 48 having a recess 49 extending inwardly from the outer surface of the heel of the last to receive a wooden plug 5U to which nails may be applied for securing certain counter portions of the shoe.

The edges which surround the periphery ofv the inserts 30 or 38 or 43 t these inserts with sufficient closeness so as to assist in preventing any splintering of the wood or other nail-receiving material of the insert member.

, It will be apparent from the above that I attain all of the advantages of the metal last While providing Wooden or other nail-receiving inserts at the portions which receive the nails of the last, which parts may be readily removed after having been utilized a suiiicient length of time to have pierced the nail-receiving portions suiciently to have used up the same. By this arrangement new bottoms may be put in and the last continued to be used, whereas the old all-wooden lasts had to be discarded and thrown away at this point in their use. Likewise, by the use of a two part last should the wooden insert become used a new fore part such as ll may be substituted for the used fore part l I while utilizing the same as heel part I9 that continued operation of the heel part l may be had while replacement of the wooden insert in the fore part H is being had.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it tc be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms 0i the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hollow metal shoe last comprising a hollow metal body portion with an open bottom, an individual sole member into which nails may be driven forming at least a portion of the bottom of the sole of the last and positionable in or removable from the last, a flange on the body portion on which the sole member rests, threaded holes in said fdange and headed screws passing through said member and entering said holes to secure the member in position on said flange.

2. A hollow metal shoe last comprising a hollow metal body having a portion without a bottom, spaced protuberant portions extending inwardly from the walls of the body defining said open portion, an individual sole member into which nails may be driven positionable on said protuberant portions, threaded holes in said protuberant portions, and headed screws passing through said sole member and entering said holes to secure the sole member in position on said protuberant portions.

JOSEPH H. STONE. 

